Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt on Thursday was granted bail till January 18 to surrender by the TADA Court as it is busy hearing arguments regarding the quantum of sentence for others convicted in the case.
The court also extended the surrender time of seven others: Somnath Thapa, Imtiaz Ghawte, Kersi Adjania, Dayamusa Bhivandiwala, Zebunisa Kazi, Rusi Mulla and Yusuf Nallwala.
Judge PD Kode said the court would hear the actor’s application to waive his punishment under the Probation of Offenders Act and also arguments on his quantum of sentence on January 18. He was convicted on November 28 for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 serial blasts case. Minutes after the court granted him relief, Sanjay wearing a lavender full-shirt and a pair of blue denims and the trademaer red tikka, bowed before the Judge, with folded arms.
Senior counsels V R Manohar and Satish Maneshinde told the court that Sanjay had been earlier granted bail by the Supreme Court and he should be granted time to surrender as the trial was not complete yet. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam retorted that once an accused is held guilty by the court, he has to be taken into custody. He also said the sentence could not be waived as it had not yet been awarded.
Trishala Dutt flies in from the US today to offer emotional support to her father in his moment of crisis
Sanjay Dutt’s daughter Trishala is flying down to India from the US today to lend some much-needed emotional support to her father.
Sanjay, whose bail plea was extended to January 18 by the TADA court in Mumbai yesterday , needs it more than anything, as he might just go behind bars for at least a year after being pronounced guilty under the Arms act for possession of illegal arms.
Dutt’s lawyers had pleaded bail last Tuesday, on grounds that the actor needs time to organise his daughter’s education in the US. Trishala is currently studying law at the John Day College of Justice in the US.
According to friends, after the death of his father Sunil Dutt, Sanjay has become dependent on his sisters, Priya and Namrata, and daughter Trishala for emotional support.
A friend, under condition of anonymity said, “Sanjay is missing his daughter. He needs all the emotional support now. Trishala and he have been very close in spite of the distance between them. He has always been concerned about her, and now Trishala is very concerned about the possibility of her father going to jail.”
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